It can feel like you’re stuck in a rut when you’re not where you want to be in life. This can lead to anxiety and frustration. It’s important to remember that everyone goes through this at one time or another. You may have reached a point in your life when you no longer love your work, your romantic relationship isn’t what you hoped it would be, or you’re simply sick of doing the same thing over and over again.
The experience of being stuck can leave a person feeling entirely unmotivated. It may appear there are no solutions available to alter their current circumstance. If you are experiencing these emotions, it may be good to know that you are not the only one going through them.
Why Am I Stuck?
There are a variety of reasons you might feel stuck. Sometimes the stuck feeling can be linked to burnout or feeling overwhelmed. Other times, we cause the stuck feelings ourselves by convincing ourselves we aren’t worth the promotion or the relationship. We might self-sabotage out of fear. If we have a limited support system, this plays into it as well, as we won’t have the outside encouragement we need to quiet the voice inside telling us we will fail.
We may also struggle with finding the right path in life. Weighing others’ opinions of what we should do against our own desires can be difficult. Feeling as if we’re failing friends and family makes us questions our choices. It makes it that much worse if we’re already on the fence with our self-esteem.
With the deck seemingly stacked against us, no wonder we stay put. It can seem like a hopeless situation when you’re already resistant to change and allergic to uncertainty. However, the frustration of being stuck can quickly become a safe feeling if we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed.
How Do You Get Unstuck?
If you feel at a standstill in life, the following are some suggestions that may help you.
Give Some Thought to the Things That Are Important to You
Taking time to reflect on the important things to you is an effective strategy for getting unstuck. It may be helpful to write down the aspects of your life that you suspect may contribute to your “stuck” feeling. Consider what might happen if you let go of those things. If you choose to hold on to them, how do you work with them to not feel stuck anymore?
Describe the Emotions You Are Experiencing
If you believe that everyone around you has the situation under control, being in a rut might make you feel more alone. However, being honest about how you’re feeling with those closest to you, such as family and friends, may help you realize that many individuals have been through similar experiences at some point in their lives.
Make Room in Your Life for Something Fresh & Exciting
It may be something tiny, or it might be something significant. Finding an alternative path in life can help us experience a sense of renewal. For example, try a pottery class, get a new hairstyle, or wear fun socks. Give yourself a jumpstart to see if it helps move you in the right direction.
Give Meditation a Shot
Meditation is a fabulous tool that can boost your well-being and help you stop feeling stuck in a rut. Whether you are feeling stuck because of something from your past that you can’t stop focusing on, or you think you don’t have time in your life to make changes, meditation may help. If the thought of meditating sounds scary, plenty of meditation apps help you get started. You can choose from several guided meditations, many with a specific theme.
Determine a Time Limit for Yourself
Making significant shifts in your life is not a simple task. It is beneficial to give yourself time to reflect on what it is about your life that makes you unhappy and what steps you may take to improve this situation. As with most things, change will only stick when you’re ready to give it a chance.
SandovalTherapy Can Help
If you’ve determined why you’re stuck and have decided to do something about it, you might consider seeking professional help. Feeling stuck can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be permanent.
At SandovalTherapy, Alejandro Sandoval, LMFT, provides services for adults and older adolescents that can help pinpoint what’s holding you back. Then you can create a plan to get back on track together. Working with someone who understands what you’re going through can make breaking free even easier.